Past Meets Present

[Maira]

He was due to deliver the statuette tomorrow to the Cedar Valley Art Gallery and Museum. Today he had free. As he sat in his rental car in the driveway to the huge house, Larkin looked back down at the address the Council had given him and back up at the house. The numbers matched, the street matched, the GPS in the rental car said this was the place. Now why couldn't he get out of the car?

Finally, he tossed the address on the passenger seat of the rental and climbed out. He gently shut the door, locked it, took a deep breath and then started up the driveway. The stairs he had to climb to the door were a bit steep but they were sturdy so he took them two at a time anyway.

Standing in front of the door, Larkin peered in through the window in the door to see if anybody was up and about. It was noon so if anybody was home they -should- be up. When he didn't see anybody, Larking walked over to the edge of the deck and looked into the yard just in case they were outside. Nobody there either.

With a sigh, Larkin walked back over to the door and glared at it for another few moments. If anybody was watching him they were probably getting a damn good laugh. First the sitting in the car for 10 minutes, now being unable to bring himself to knock on the door... When he couldn't stand his own nerves any longer, Larking punched the button next to the door. He heard the chime go off inside and smiled. It had been a good idea, after all, the house was huge. If the owner were in the farthest corner from the door, if he'd knocked they might not have heard him. But that doorbell, it'd be hard not to hear that.

When it took a moment for anybody to come to the door, Larkin began to wonder if anybody were home at all. Sure there were two vehicles in the driveway but that didn't always mean anything. After a few more moments, Larkin gave up. He'd just placed his foot on the top stair when he heard the door open behind him. Suddenly his heart was racing, rather uncharateristically in his mind, and he had to take a breath to calm it before turning around. When he did finally manage to turn and face the person who'd answered the door, Larkin tilted his head to one side curiously and stated matter-of-factly, "I'm looking for Dominic Sullivan, apparenlty he's my father." He knew the man in front of him wasn't Dominic because, along with the address, he'd been given a picture. This dark-haired man was anything -but- his father.

[Demeter]

Lysander grumbled as he stomped up the stairs. He'd had a hell of a night at the muesum. There'd been a break in. Someone had tried to steal a object of art on display. They hadn't gotten far with the Custosic security guards that wandered the building at night. The hellish part had come from the ensuing interviews by the police. The result? He'd gotten home at four in the morning, visited Dominic at the inn for a little whole and then crashed. Now he was being woken up...

He climbed up the stairs, sheet wrapped around his waist and held up by a single fist. He opened door and growled at the young man standing on his porch. "Who the hell are you and what the hell do you want?" He did notice how similar the man looked to Dominic and, considering Cade's apperance in their lives, ignored it.

He saw Dominic coming up the path from the Inn and pointed at him. "That's Dominic Sullivan. I'm going back to bed. Good night." Lysander closed the door and turned to go back to bed. If he didn't get enough sleep, Lysander was cranky and what not.

[Maira]

The grouchy attitude from the man with a sheet around his waist didn't faze Larkin, he just raised one eyebrow and fought back a smirk. Somebody hadn't gotten enough sleep the night before. He didn't even even flinch at the gruffness of the man's tone as he then pointed off toward the Inn he'd driven past and declared that the man he was looking for was in the direction he'd pointed.

Ignoring the rest of what the sheet-wrapped man had to say, Larkin turned and looked in the direction that he'd pointed and tilted his head curiously. The white-blonde hair the other man was sporting as he walked up the path matched his own, and the picture he'd been given. Other than that though, the man was still too far away to make out much more of what he looked like. Now he just had to decide if he wanted to go back down the stairs and meet the man coming up the path, or if he wanted to just hang out on the deck...

*****

He'd pulled an over-nighter at the Inn, then he'd gotten a few hours of sleep before heading over to work on the damn hot-tub again. He was tired, he was wet, he was muddy and all he wanted was a shower and to snuggle up to his lover who was waiting at home for him in their bed.

So, when he started up the stairs to the front door of his home, he was -not- expecting to see a pair of unfamiliar boots attached to unfamiliar legs and on up to a strangely familiar face. "Who the hell are you?!" he asked, more than a little startled.

Larkin had finally decided that taking a seat at the top of the stairs would just have to do for talking to the other blond man. And when he started up the stairs, Larkin had to wonder if he'd even seen him. When he looked up, surprise clearly on his face, and in his tone as he asked just who he was, Larkin smiled and held out a hand in a friendly manner. "Larkin Sullivan, and if you're Dominic Sullivan, like the grouchy half-naked man said you are, I believe my mother was the one that turned you."

Dominic just stared at the boy. It was like looking in a mirror, only the mirror showed a younger version of himself, and one of the boy's eyes were blue, not violet. Just while staring at the younger version of himself, Dominic had managed to totally miss everything he'd said. "Sorry, what did you say?" he asked when he could finally stop staring at the boy's face.

Larkin sighed, laughed lightly, then repeated himself. Obviously poor Dominic was not taking being confronted by a younger looking version of himself very well. Just after he finished repeating what he'd said before, Larkin heard tires crunch on the gravel. Looking away from Dominic, Larkin saw a couple years old mini-van pull into the driveway. Another person with white-blonde hair came bouncing out of the passenger side, a backpack slung over one shoulder, before she ran up the driveway, only waving back at the person in the van when she reached the bottom of the stairs. And she was definitely a she. Did Larkin have a sister?

Dominic was still reeling from what Larkin had told him. If the boy were using his last name, and looked so much like him, he had no doubt that the boy was his son. His 19 year old son if he was doing the math correctly. The sound of tires on gravel only barely registered in the back of his mind, and he didn't look away from Larkin until he heard, and felt, a new set of footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Dad! Move it or lose it!" Lani called as she bounded up the stairs two at a time. Lysander was supposed to be making spaghetti that night and he'd promised to -finally- teach her how to make his sauce that she loved so much. The last thing she wanted was to be late.

Dominic turned and smiled at his daughter, the child he'd known about since her conception, and watched as her eyes landed on the boy still sitting on the stairs. When Lani stopped in her tracks and just stared at the boy for a moment before looking at Dominic, he just waited. She was bound to say something if he just waited long enough...

"I have another brother?" Lani finally blurted out when she could tear her eyes off of the boy in front of her.

"-Another- brother?!" Larkin asked curiously of Dominic. "You have more than one son?"

Dominic shook his head and started in quickly, "No, nonononono. I've only got two biological children. One I didn't know about until five minutes ago... Lani is referring to her mother's family and Cade who lives here."

Larkin was thoroughly confused.

Dominic was getting a migraine.

Lani was starting to bounce.

*****

When Lysander finally woke up, the three blonds were perched in various places around the livingroom. Upon hearing his lover's entrance into the livingroom, Dominic immediately pried himself loose of his daughter and went to him. He went over to L, slipped his arms around the older man's waist and slid around behind him while whispering, "Save me!"

[Demeter]

Cade had made tracks the moment he'd seen the new face, thereby leaving Lysander to face the new horde. He'd woken up, put on a pair of jeans and a button down shirt before wandering into the living room. He left his feet bare. When Dominic pounced on him, Lysander smiled and pulled him around what. "Lani, you'll find the recipe on the kitchen table. Go start getting the igredients ready. Dominic, tell me all about the man who showed up on the doorstep and does anyone know where the hell Cade ran off to?"

His seven year old son was squirrely and would hide anywhere he could. Lysander kept his arms around Dominic, head resting on his shoulder, while he stared at the new guy. Now that he was awake, Lysander took in the new guy's appearance. He resembled Dominic. L shrugged that off.

[Maira]

When L finally surfaced from the downstairs master suite and told Lani the recipe for his sauce was on the kitchen table she squealed and tore out of the livingroom. She was a girl on a mission!

Dominic laughed as his whirlwind of a daughter rushed past him and his lover on her way to go get dinner started. "She got the spazziness from you L, that is -not- my fault at all," he said as soon as he could stop laughing.

At a cough from the livingroom, Dominic returned his attention to Larkin and had to fight off his headache again. "Lysander, that," he said while pointing, "is Larkin. Apparently during the one night I had with his mother, when she turned me, I managed to get her pregnant..." Then, to his son, "And this is Lysander, my lover."

Years ago, Dominic would have had a hell of a time trying to find a way to introduce the man in his life. To strangers he still sometimes had issues, but with family, even newly discovered family, he'd just given in to calling him what he was. His lover.

Larkin nodded, waved, then got up from where he was sitting and sauntered into the kitchen after Lani. He wasn't weirded out by his father being with a man, he just found Lani incredibly amusing. And if there was food involved, he was definitely going to hang around. He couldn't cook to save his life.

When Lysander asked after Cade, and Larkin wandered out of the room, Dominic finally answered him. "He saw me come in with those two and he bolted for his room. I'm guessing he's been sucked into one of his video games again. I thought I heard him yelling at them a time or two, though I'm not sure if it was because he was winning or losing..."

[Demeter]

Lysander chuckled and turned Dominic around so that he was facing the man. "Cade enjoy's his games, which is why he get along so well. Now, how bad of a headache do you have?" He brushed a kiss across his forehead. "Now, I'll handle the newbie and I'll make sure that Lani doesn't stab herself. Also, the spazziness comes from her mother. Go, get some sleep."

L shoved Dominic towards the stairs before heading into the kitchen. He glanced around the gleaming stainless steel appliences and the cherry wood cabniets and grinned. As he approached the two seated at the island bar, he ran a hand along the black granite countertops. He glanced at a grinning Lani. "Ready to make some tomato sauce. Since this is your first time, we'll go step by step." Normally, Lysander was doing everything at once, spinning around from counter to stove and back again. As he watched Lani fill a pot full of water to blanch the tomato's, he glanced over his shoulder. "Will you be staying for Dinner?"

Lysander, noting that Lani hadn't included a bottle of red wine with the ingredients, went over to the kitchen wine rack and pulled down an unopened bottle of red. He uncorked the bottle and poured himself a glass. He drank whenever he cooked, which was almost every night now. "What do you do, Larkin?" Lysander spoke as he handled the chopping for the sauce, not yet allowing Lani to do it with his knives. Besides, she was watching the pot.

Cade, the little whirlwind, spun into the kitchen, peered at the occupants, and grabbed a soda from the fridge. "Hey, Dad, when's dinner? Who's the guy?"

"Dinner, so long as Lani doesn't burn anything, should be in a few hours and the guy is Larkin, Lani's older brother."

Cade eyed Larkin for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders. He wandered back out of the kitchen, intent of killing more German Soliders.

[Maira]

Dominic was very glad for L's calming and comforting presence in his life and reminded himself of it almost daily. This was one of those days that he would have to give L a big thank you later for saving his sanity. He took the kiss on his forehead graciously and slipped down the stairs to their bedroom when he was shoved.

In the kitchen, Lani and Larkin were staring at each other curiously and he finally asked, "Just how old are you anyway?" Her looks and her attitude weren't quite in sync and among other things about the girl, those two things confused him greatly.

Lani just smirked and before she could answer, Lysander joined them in the kitchen. As soon as L started giving her instructions on what to do, Lani got to work and essentially ignored her brother. That wasn't to say she didn't listen eagerly when L started asking him questions, she just didn't interrupt or show any real interest.

When Larkin was asked what he does for a living, the young man reached for his wallet and fished out his business cards. Only, he didn't have a chance to give it to Lysander yet as younger boy came into the kitchen just then that looked remarkably like the older man. Of course, then the younger boy called Lysander 'Dad' and the almost-mystery was solved.

Lani glared at L when he teased her about burning dinner, then went back to working on the tasks he'd set her. Larkin, he just grinned at the younger boy and watched as he whirled out of the kitchen again. Once it was just the three of them again, Larkin finally handed Lysander his card and answered him, "I'm an art courier to earn my living, and an artist during my free time." Then, with a knowing smile he added, "I'm actually bringing in a piece for the museum that I believe you work at. I got to town a day early so I thought I'd look up Dominic while I was here."

[Demeter]

Lysander grinned. "And give the man the shock of his life. Maybe an even bigger shock then coming back from Europe and finding that I'd bulldozed his apartment over a garage and built him a new house. Okay, Lani, once the water is boiling, put the tomatoes into the water and just wait. It will take a few minutes. And Larkin, as for me when you do deliver the peice. Cissa is going absolutely spazzy lately. She'll probably harrass you with feathers.

The kitchen descended into companionable silence as Lysander and Lani cooked dinner. L handled the chopping and the frying but he allowed Lani to do the less dangerous tasks. Saiyuri probably wouldn't forgive him if something happened to Lani under his watch. Once dinner was ready, and after stating that they'd eat at the kitchen bar, which had room for five people to sit at, Lysander told Lani to set out the dishes, get her, Larkin and Cade drinks, and to fetch Cade. He went down to Dominic.

He entered their room and just watched Dominic as he slept for a minute. He eventually crawled across the king sized bed and kissed the man into wakefullness. "Come on, Love, dinner is ready and, if we're not fast enough, Lani is going to eat all of it."

[Maira]

Larkin raised an eyebrow at Lysander's words about surprises. How exactly did the two examples he gave compare? Finding out you have a mystery child, and finding a new house where your old one had been? Instead of trying to figure it out, Larkin just focussed on Lysander's next words and his eyebrow climbed a bit higher. Whoever Cissa was, Larkin figured he'd survive being harrassed with feathers. He'd met strange people in his line of work before, likely she'd just be another to add to the list.

By the time Lani and Lysander were finished cooking dinner, Larkin was starving. The smells were wonderful and when Lysander left the kitchen he swooped in on the pot the sauce was cooking in. Apparently Lani had the same idea and held out the spoon she'd been stirring with to him so he could taste it. "I grew up on this stuff, isn't it great?!" she asked excitedly when she saw the look of sheer pleasure on Larkin's face. He nodded enthusiastically, took the spoon from her and dipped himself out some more.

Before Larkin could eat all the sauce, he forced himself to put the wooden spoon down on the spoon rest and stepped away from the stove. "Okay, show me where the dishes are and I'll set up while you go get, Cade was it?" Lani nodded, then opened the cupboards to show Larkin where everything was before she skipped out of the kitchen to fetch her younger brother.

He'd been having wonderful dreams, scented with the smells of Lysander's spaghetti sauce when the man's voice drifted through his dreams as well, slowly waking him. The kisses helped wake him too and when he was finally fully awake, he had a smile on his face. At L's words about Lani eating all the dinner, Dominic laughed and corrected him, "I'd be more worried about Larkin honestly. If he's anything at all like I was at his age, he'll likely eat twice as much as you, me an Cade put together." He kissed L back a couple times and then flipped back the covers and crawled his way off their king-size bed and pulled his pants and shirt back on. Couldn't very well go to dinner in just his boxers now could he?

Once he was dressed, Dominic made his way up the stairs and to the kitchen. Lani wasn't the only one addicted to Lysander's spaghetti, and Dominic wasn't about to let his kids eat it all before he got a chance to at least have one helping. He walked in and smiled at the trio of younger people who were waiting rather impatiently by the looks on their faces at the bar. As similar as the expressions were that Larkin and Lani wore, Dominic bout cracked up laughing. One would think they'd grown up together! "You three didn't eat it all did you? I'm starving!"

[Demeter]

Lysander listened to the chatter between the three. He and Cade just tucked into their dinner, grinning at each other whenever the three found something in common. As the night wore on, the five of them continuted to sit at the kitchen bar, swapping stories as if Larkin had always been part of the family but had been gone for a while. He'd passed drinks around for everyone, keeping glasses full. Juice for Lani and Seth and Larkin while Dominic and himself finished off the bottle of red wine from dinner and a bottle of ice wine.

As the clock closed in on midnight, and Cade, as well as Lani, were starting to drop off to sleep, Lysander offered Larkin the use of the downstairs guest rooms. He hustled the two kids off to bed and headed off to bed himself, sure that Dominic would follow after getting Larkin settled for the night.

Once the vampire appeared in their rooms, Lysander glanced over him. "I suppose that this finally gives you something in common with Dion. Long lost children and all that." He patted the bed and waited for Dominic to sit next to him. "So, how do you feel?"

[Maira]

Once all of the kids were settled, Lani and Cade in their own rooms, and Larkin in one of the spare rooms, Dominic made his way to the master bedroom where he knew Lysander would be waiting for him. When he walked in, the older vampire made a comment about having something in common now with his ex-mother-in-law and Dominic just snorted. Loving Saiyuri and Lani was all he'd ever had in common with Dion prior to now and honestly he kind of wished it had stayed that way. It was simpler after all.

He hurried and once again stripped out of everything but his boxers, tossing everything towards the laundry basket in the corner (and missing). Mostly clothes free, Dominic then plopped onto the bed where Lysander patted it next to him. Once he was situated the old vampire asked him a question that just caused Dominic to laugh.

How did he feel? After the shock of a lifetime, followed by a nice relaxed meal and evening with the kids, all Dominic could really answer with was, "Exhausted and overwhelmed, honestly." He had never once thought he might have another child out in the world somewhere, he'd always been so careful after all. To find out that the one woman besides Lani's mother that he'd ever slept with unprotected, and only one time to boot, had gotten pregnant by him was more than a bit earth shaking. How was he supposed to feel?

He leaned into his lover, their arms touching, and then rested his head on L's shoulder. After a moment he asked quietly, "So, what now? I have a full grown son, and there is no doubt that he's mine, and I barely know what to do with a teenage daughter and young boy. Do I offer him a place to live? Do I drag him to Dion's next family dinner? Do I just pretend that he's some random kid off the stree who happens to look like my clone?" His tone was getting a bit whiny, he knew this, but Dominic really had no idea what his next move with the boy should be.

[Demeter]

Lysander nuzzled Dominic. “I think you should let him make the next move. It seems like he lives pretty much on the road so I don’t know how long he will be around but it does seem like he wants to get to know you. I would suggest not pushing on the family stuff and just act as if you’ve met him a work and are best buddies.”

The next morning, after the kids had left to do whatever they were up to, Lysander drove Larkin to the museum so that they could take care of paperwork. Once everything was signed and tucked back into the messenger bag that Larkin used to transport the paperwork, Lysander invited him out to lunch. While digging into a salad, Lysander asked the young man what he was doing next.

[Maira]

The day and night before had been very interesting. Larkin honestly hadn't expected to be welcomed quite so warmly into Dominic's home and family, yet that is precisely what happened. He'd expected just a short, curt, "Nice to meet you, there's the door" sort of thing. Instead he'd been fed possibly the best spaghetti he'd ever eaten, told old family stories, and offered a room to sleep in even though he had a perfectly good hotel room reserved. His little sister, Lani, had even hugged him and told him, "Welcome home big brother," as she'd bounded off to bed.

Now he was sitting at lunch with his father's lover and Lysander was asking him questions. Larkin took a bite of his BLT and a swig of his water before answering, "Do you mean for work? I've got about a week before I have to go pick up my next assignment, this was my last drop off for the month." Larkin took another bite of his sandwich and waited to see if Lysander had any more questions for him but he seemed to be waiting for more information from Larkin.

Suddenly nervous, Larkin set his sandwich down and thought for a moment before answering thoughtfully, "As for family, I'm not sure what I'm doing next. You were all so welcoming that I just wasn't expecting it. I had planned on meeting Dominic, finding a bit out about his side of the family, and then being on my way because I really doubted a grown son was going to be a welcome surprise in his life. I guess the Council knew better though because they practically threw his address and photo at me, as well as a brief bio on him."

Larkin really -wasn't- sure what he was going to do next when it came to his father and sister. He'd wanted to see the guy, at least let him know he existed, but beyond that he had no plans. Family had never been a huge deal for him before and he wasn't sure what it would be like to have one that actually cared.